When a Virus Defeated Napoleon

How nature makes history

by Sebastian Jutzi

Description

Humans write history, but nature and coincidence often play a significant part in making history. The weather, volcanoes, celestial bodies, pathogens: all of them can influence historical events. In 413 BC, a lunar eclipse contributed to the defeat of the Athenians by Syracuse. In 1802, Napoleon’s soldiers on Saint-Domingue, the Haiti of today, were carried off in their thousands by yellow fever; the slave revolt that the troops had been sent to suppress succeeded, and the island declared itself independent in 1804. Nature not only makes history, it can also contribute to the understanding of history. For example, the route that the Carthaginians took over the Alps was only revealed recently by the discovery of ancient manure – not too surprising since Hannibal was accompanied by an estimated 10,000 horses. Sebastian Jutzi relates these and many other (hi)stories in a knowledgeable, entertaining and informative way – a treasure trove for anyone who wants to get to know history from an “unusual” perspective.

More Information

Author Biography

Sebastian Jutzi studied biology and journalism, worked as an editor for “Bild der Wissenschaft”, ZDF and FOCUS, among others, and was Editor-in-Chief of the journal “natur”. He is currently the Chief Science Editor at the Paul Scherrer Institute. He has published several books.

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Hirzel Verlag Stuttgart

Hirzel Verlag Stuttgart

Non-fiction books (f.e. society, health, ecology, evolution, philosophy) specialist books (f.e chemistry, physics, ancient history, history of science/medicine, German studies)

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Bibliographic Information

  • Publisher Hirzel Verlag
  • Publication Date 2019
  • Orginal LanguageGerman
  • ISBN/Identifier 9783777627984
  • FormatPaperback
  • Primary Price 19.80 EUR
  • Pages236
  • ReadershipGeneral
  • Publish StatusPublished
  • Original Language TitleAls ein Virus Napoleon besiegte. Wie Natur Geschichte macht
  • Copyright Year2019
  • Illustration27 illustrations

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